Decalcomania paper



July 14, 1936. MacLAURlN 2,047,700

DECALCOMANIA PAPER Filed Sept. 5, 1931 N VEN TOR.

K; ATTONEY.

Patented July 14, 1936 PATENT oFF -cs DEGALCOMANIA m n John MacLaurin, Ware, Mass. Application September 5, 1931, Serial No. 561,507

2 Claims.

This invention relates to decalcomania papers and to methods of making such papers.

A common method of making papers of this character consists in applying a coating of adhesive gum adapted to take printing ink to the surface of a backing sheet of paper which is porous and contains very little sizing so that it is highly pervious to water. The paper is sold to the decalcomania manufacturer in this condition and he prints his designs on the gummed surface of the paper. Another form of decalcomania paper which is widely used is made in substantially the manner above described except that a coating of lacquer or similar material is sprayed on the gummed surface. The design later is printed on this coating of lacquer. During the process of applying the decalcomania design to any desired article of work, the lacquer coating is separated from the backing strip and stays with the design. Decalcomanias of this type are commonly referred to as "slide on decalcomanias.

However, as a practical matter, the product made by this old method is not perfectly clear and transparent, nor is the lacquer coating of uniform thickness, due to the fact that such coating is made directly on the coated surface of the paper backing. It is practically impossible to avoid the presence of irregularities in the formation of a film under these conditions. These films also were very liable to have pin holes through them which produced flaws in the decalcomania designs subsequently printed on such a paper.

The present invention is more especially concerned with papers designed for use in the manufacture, of the latter type of decalcomanias. It aims to improve such papers and the methods of manufacturing them with a view to providing a superior article at an entirely satisfactory price.

I have found that an exceptionally satisfactory decalcomania paper can be made by combining a suitable backing paper with a sheet of one of the tough transparent cellulosic materials which are now available. The regenerated cellulose sheets obtainable on the market under the name of cellophane are particularly suitable for this purpose. They are relatively thin, highly transparent, are very tough, have a high degree of uniformity in thickness, and are substantially free from holes and other surface imperfections which would be objectionable for this purpose. Chemically these sheets consist of substantially pure cellulose. Other forms of cellulosic sheet materialscould be used, however, as an equivalent for the cellophane such as those made of cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate, and the like. They also are waterproof, have the necessary strength, and are substantially transparent. They are not, however, as suitable as the substantially pure cellulose sheets previously mentioned.

Sheets of this cellulosic material may be combined with a suitable backing paper through the medium of water soluble adhesives, such as those which have been used heretofore. According to 19 the process which I prefer to use, a sheet of backing paper is coated on one side with starch, this coating is dried, and a coating of a water soluble gum such as dextrine then is applied on the surface of the starch coating. The cellulose sheet is 15 sheet during the application of the decalcomania to the work exactly as in using prior slide oflf decalcomanias.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a decalcomnia paper embodying this invention, portions of the coatings being shown broken away and the comer of the cellulosic sheet being shown turned back; and

Fig'ure 2 is a sectional view of the product shown in Fig. 1.

In the drawing the highly absorbent backing sheet is indicated at 2, the superposed adhesive coatings are shown at 3 and l, and the cellophane", or equivalent sheet, is illustrated at 5.

A paper of this character has'the advantage of possessing a surface which is exceptionally well adapted to receive the decalcomania designs, the

surface is very uniform and free from flaws, and' is very little aifected by changes in the atmosphere. At the same time the expense of manufacture of such a paper can be kept within entirely satisfactory limits.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is:

1. A paper adapted for the printing thereon of decalcomania designs, comprising a backing sheet of paper highly pervious to water, a pre-formed sheet of transparent cellulosic material having a surface adapted to take printing ink. and a layer of adhesive. readily soluble in water. bonding said cellulosic material to said backing sheet in a face to face relationship therewith, said cellulodc sheet having a high decree 01 strength and toughness, being of substantially uniform thickness,-

and having smooth surtaces on both sides thereof, and said layer of adhesive being of such a character that when water is applied to the backing sheet it will quickly penetrate through said backing sheet and into said adhesive and act on the latter to separate said cellulosic sheet from said backing sheet.

' 2. That improvement in methoth at making decaicomania papers which consists in applying a starchy adhesive tothe surface of a sheet of suitable backing paper b18111? p rvious to water. applyins a coating of water soluble gum on the starchy coating, bonding a preformed sheet of "celiophane to said backing sheet by means of saidgum coating. and making said gum coatina oi such a thickness and so absorbent that when water is applied to the backing sheet it will quick- 17 penetrate through said backing sheet and into 10 said gum coating and swell the latter sumciently to separate. the "cellophane" sheet from said backing sheet.

JOHN mes-sum. 

